BROCKTON – Three players who earned All-New England honors last season return to the Massasoit Community College women’s soccer team.

Forwards Zhandali Fontes of Taunton and Katie Arnold, who earned spots on the all-region first team, and midfielder Stephanie Villanueva of Whitman, a second-team selection, were among the best players in New England in 2013 when the Warriors reached the regional final.

They are joined by midfielder Olivia Curtin of Abington, giving Massasoit four key veterans.

“Those four,” said first-year head coach Jim Stapleton, “are nice to have to start with.”

Massasoit, which was 6-9 last season and lost to Holyoke in the title game, opens the season today by hosting Tompkins Cortland Community College of Dryden, N.Y., at 2 p.m.

Stapleton, who is also the men’s basketball coach at Massasoit, took over the women’s program in July after Ruben Teixeira became the assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.

A volunteer assistant last season, Stapleton is the eighth women’s soccer head coach at Massasoit.

“We have a nice core right now and we’re trying to get a couple other players to commit that would really help,” said Stapleton. “If we can get two more pieces, we can win New England.”

Fontes made the all-region team despite playing only six games. An injury ended her season early, but Fontes made a strong impression, scoring a team-high six goals.

“She’s very physically strong and is a nice player,” said Stapleton. “It really hurt us not having her last year. It left too many 1-on-3 or 2-on-5 runs against us.”

Arnold had two goals and four assists and could also be used as a goalkeeper this season.

“There were games I thought she was our best player, hands down, last season,” said Stapleton. “She is very versatile and a tough kid who can play in the middle of the field.”

Villanueva, who had two goals and an assist, can play different positions due to her versatility while Curtin “knows the game very well and is a reliable player,” according to Stapleton.

The top newcomers in practice the past two weeks have been Kayla Gomes, a Silver Lake Regional High graduate who will be asked to provide scoring, and Laura Ellis of Raynham, a Bristol-Plymouth graduate who will either be in goal on in the field.

Courtney Wagner of Stoughton brings speed to the Massasoit lineup while Cinthia Pires of Brockton, Haley Wells of Whitman-Hanson and Angela Sacchetti will have key roles.

Jim Fenton may be reached at jfenton@enterprisenews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFenton_ent.